Chapter 1:
鳥かご / Birdcage
Four years have passed since I left my hometown on the prospect of attending a prestigious academy in the capital. Starting this spring, as I turn 18 I am given the choice to leave the dormitories and have my very own apartment. However I don't quite get the need to..
I felt nothing but excitement coming from my classmates as they seemed eager to leave the dorms. But to me it only sounds like so much more trouble than staying here where most things are set up for me, from meals to bathtime, which makes my weekly schedule easy to follow.
As I ponder this matter, I'm heading to the bookstore to order the list of manuals we were given yesterday which will serve for those last 3 years at the academy.
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"Oi punk you almost had me freakin' out here with that get-up of yours.. but turns out you're just a small fry huh ?! Hand over your phone now."
"Tehe.. sister told me I would have nuthin' to scratch ma head 'bout If I went to town like that but seems like I can't help but put myself in trouble.. "
At first glance it seems like the usual and ridiculously loud argument between some delinquents, however something feels off. That guy on the ground wears your typical old school yankee get up, black jacket, white shirt, black pants and has his hair dyed in blond with some shades of brown coming from the roots on top of his head, however he doesn't give off any of that animosity you'd expect from his looks.
For now I should probably try to interfere even so slightly to find out more about this situation.
"Hey you, can't you make out how much he doesn't want to fight back ? Put away your foot from his back please, we can still discuss this matter as humans capable of conversing."
" Haha ain't you a lucky one mister siscon? you've got a total stranger willing to take the beating in your stead, and right before your eyes that is."
Now that is problematic, I judged the matter as trivial and tried to talk some sense into him but it seems to have backfired and now he is even willing to cause casualities. sigh..
"Listen I don't want rely on that, but If it comes down to this I will have to call the authorities."
"GHAHAHA, you're a funny one lad ! Though hearing that really spoiled my mood.
"..."
"Well since it looks like you don't know a single thing about how this town works, as a warning this time I'll give you some intel as long as you don't get yourself involved any further into my business."
Doesn't sound so bad as a trade since I am not interested in anything related to such backstreet activities. What got my interest however is what kind of intel would make even someone like him give such a serious look shortly after making a scene.
"Alright works for me, so please go ahead and enlighten me."
"tch Right you got it. For starters those "authorities" ye're talkin' about would never show up for some stupid quarrel between people from the plebs. Reason is they simply don't care. This city has neon lights everywhere, high buildings and is close to obtain knowledge about flying cars and holograms I heard. Point is they only care about you if you got brains, so if people fight eachother as they like, it only benefits to the higher-up's goal since the most likely result will be that those with the bigger brains or arms will keep standing there waiting to be "chosen"."
"This is quite hard to swallow, I have been here for four years now but nothing close to this kind of impression has ever crossed my mind... But something bothers me even more right now in why is that you would be willing to give me such a detailed explanation ? "
"I've said enough, you do the thinkin' by yerself I couldn't care less if you were to get hit by a truck right about now so scram and keep ya promise"
This leaves me with even more questions, but for now I should probably head to the closest store to get a first-aid kit for this guy.
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"Argh.. Ow! what's all this lightin' comin' from ? where I am ?"
"Good thing you finally woke up Tanabe-san, pardon me I took the liberty to check your ID in your wallet while you were asleep. Now tell me if you can stand by yourself, I'll bring you some tea."
"Huh.. hm, yes.. seems like I can move just good. But what happened to me exactly ?"
"When I was on my way to the bookstore I saw you being in what sounded like an argument with some delinquent. So I headed towards the noise to find you beaten up on the ground, and after a little chat with that said delinquent we agreed to go our seperate ways and I brought you to my room here at the Stella Academy's dormitories."
"Ahh.. so that really happened.. Sister will surely be really angry at me when I come home.."
"As far as I can tell you are not from this town right ? Do you live outside ?"
"Yes I come from the north, mom and sister are still there to run the farm and I decided to rush here to make it big hopefully and come back to them with enough means to rebuild my hometown and help the people there.. But as always I mess things up right off the bat.. sob"
I see.. and from what I heard as I was on my way to what ended up being his rescue, his behavior and his looks are in a clear mismatch certainly because he thought looking tough would be enough to avoid the kind of experience he had earlier. He also says he's here to make money on behalf of the people from his hometown..
At first glance it seems saving him won't cause me any further concern as long as I leave it at that.
"Alright then now that you are back to your senses why don't you head to the Headmaster's office on the 5th floor ? He should be able to direct you where you will be able to find shelter for the time being."
"Oh I almost fergot ! How clumsy of me tehe.. Mom said to me I could attend a great school here, she's got the permission for me!"
"Good for you, in that case I'll see you later on the school grounds."
"Yes ! thank you very much for everything hmm.. ?"
"Ashikaga, that's my name"
"Yes ! Then see you later Ashikaga-senpai !"
I am not your senior though since we are both seventeen..
Well it doesn't matter for now, I can't even be sure we will be able to meet again if we take the size of this academy into consideration.
Anyway to think I would feel so worn out after a supposedly quick errand..yawn -for now I will take a shower and head straight to bed.
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